Some perfect timing

Timing - and a little bit of luck - can mean everything in the volatile realm of concert promotion.

Tony Sauro

Timing - and a little bit of luck - can mean everything in the volatile realm of concert promotion.

Sometimes, it even leads to an unexpected sell-out.

"We caught him at a good time," Molly Butera said of Macklemore, an independent rap/hip-hop performer from Seattle. "We were lucky. Actually, we weren't expecting it to be so big. We were able to sell out without any advertising."

"We were lucky to get him at that time," said Jamie Barnes, the arts and entertainment commissioner for Associate Students of University of the Pacific (ASUOP) who negotiated the Macklemore deal. "We had to stay within our budget. I learned a lot. You make the best deal that works for both parties."

Barnes and Butera - bolstered by a student-body vote of approval - worked out a deal with Macklemore (Ben Haggerty) and his management in November. Good timing.

That was shortly after "The Heist," his second full-length CD, came out, selling 78,000 copies in its first week of release in October.

It's now at 2.2 million "units" and counting. He performed on Ellen DeGeneres and Jimmy Fallon's TV shows. After appearing on "Saturday Night Live" (March 2), Macklemore's popularity and performing fees were amplified even more.

Long before then, all 2,800 tickets for his show tonight at Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium had been sold. Macklemore's producer, Ryan Lewis, accompanies him. Ryan Leslie, a New York-based R&B singer-rapper who once attended Stockton's Bear Creek High School, opens.

Now, general-admission tickets first priced at $15 and $30 are being proffered on the secondary market for up to $200.

"Which is really cool," said Barnes, 21, a senior from San Jose who's studying business arts, entertainment and entrepreneurship. "People are willing to pay a lot of money to come and see him."

Macklemore's performance fees - as well as offers from concert promoters - escalated with his visibility.

"His price was going up day by day," said Arlene J. Brown, who oversees Barnes, Butera and the other five members of their student committee.

Her familiarity with Macklemore was "only minimal. I learned about him through the students. This is mainly student-driven. We did zero marketing for this event."

Barnes, Butera and Pacific's students certainly were familiar with Macklemore (a nickname given to him by childhood friends). He's also performed as Professor Macklemore.

Originally impressed by Digital Underground, he began writing songs at 14 and started his recording career in 1999, releasing a mix-tape, three EPs and a full-length CD before "The Heist" hoisted him to the top.

"I'm a really big fan of his music," Barnes said. "It's hard to balance my passion for music and the best interests of our students. You have to make sure you don't let your passion get in the way of doing business."

"Oh, yeah, I'm a huge fan," said Butera, 19, a sophomore from Palo Alto. "He's a really good artist and everything."

To insure objectivity, Pacific students first were polled on the musical genre they would prefer: Hip-hop and rap edged out electronica. Macklemore, Big Sean, 2 Chainz and Kendrick Lamar were the finalists.

Macklemore, 29, was the students' choice. His 2012 singles and videos - "Thrift Shop" and "Same Love," expressing acceptance of same-sex marriage and decrying homophobia - were very popular on campus.

It's been a "real-world" learning experience for Barnes, Butera and students who produced previous ASUOP shows at the Bob Hope Theatre and Stockton Arena: rapper Lupe Fiasco (2010), R&B singer John Legend (2011) and Manteca-born dance-pop performer Devin Tailes (Dev) and the Cataracs (2012).

This time, they chose Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium to create a "different vibe," Butera said. There'll be 1,100 people on the open floor and 1,700 in seats upstairs.

"It's such a unique and great opportunity to learn in the classroom and get to do it in the real world," said Brown, 27, a Pacific graduate. "Textbooks are different than actually dealing with real money."

Brown, who also worked on event production as a Pacific student, was on maternity leave (her second child) when the Macklemore deal was signed.

"Jamie really had to take it on almost exclusively," said Brown, a Stockton resident and graduate of Manteca's East Union High School. "With very little guidance. He negotiated the whole deal. He did a phenomenal job."

Barnes, Butera and their committee members work 20 hours a week - not counting overtime. The show's costs are funded partly by the university.

"It's a real job," said Butera, who's studying business with a concentration on arts and entertainment. "We learned about all the behind-the-scenes stuff. There's a lot more to a show than I thought. We'll get there at 8 a.m. (today). We're missing all our classes. I've learned so much about the music industry and a lot of good life skills. I love it, but it's very time-consuming."